Apparatus for displaying and vending cigars and other articles.



W. G. J. COLLINS.

APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING AND VENDING CIGARS AND OTHER ARTICLES.

APPLIUATION FILED 1113.19, 1912.

1,052,798. Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

W. G. J. COLLINS. APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING AND VENDING CIGARS AND OTHER ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19,1912. 1,052,798. Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET Z.

. To all whom it may concern:. i

UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. JJCoLLiNs, or cmqaoo, ILLINOIS.

arrana'rus son msrtanNo AND VENDING CIGARS AND OTHER an'rxcnss.

Be it known that I, \Vnmuu G. CPI

, mus a. citizen of the United States, and a resi ent of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Displaying and Vending .Clga rs and other Articles, of .which I do doclare the following to bee full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompan ing drawings, forming part of this speci cation.

The present invention while obviously applicable to other uses, is especially desi ned to provide an improved construction apparatus for the convenient display and vending of cigars of the kind,'which are usually inclose in tin cans or boxes.

The invention consists in the various features of'novelt-y hereinafter described, illus 2. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a modified form of holder for retainin Fig. 0 is a detail view line 6--6 of Fi 5.--

In most retai ci ar stores it is customary to place upon the s ow-ca'se or counter boxes of rapid selling cigars where they can be conveniently reached by the salesman, and my invention is shown as applied to a case or holder adapted to set upon the to of the ordinary show-case or counter. as desideratum is, to retain the. covers normally above the tin boxes or cans containing the cigars, as the internal revenue laws make such requirement. 80, also, it is desirable that provision be made whereby the cigars within the boxes or cans ma be ke t in moist or fresh conditi n. A I able feature is to provi 0 means whereby the boxes or cans containing the ci rs maybe readily uncovered and brought mtoconveulent position for enabling the intendm' urehaser to make a selection therefrom.- see and other objects of the invention 'a at:- complished by my improved lppllut s, as

round ,cans. in vertical section on will presently appear.

flliebtflcation of Letters Patent. Application flleil February 19,4912. Serial No. 678,538.

irther esir- Patented Feb. 11,1913.

My improved apparatus is shown as comprising a base 10 which may consist of wood, preferably covered with a metal plate 11. From the base rise the uprights 12 that are shown as consisting of metal plates solderedor otherwise attached. to the metal base plate :11 and extending at the back and ends of the device. To the tops of the up rights 12 may be secured a vertical plate 13 for containing advertising matter of any desired character.

Tothe metal base plate 11 adjacent its front are secured a number of metal loops 14 that form bearin'gs forapiv'ot shaft 15 that extends across the top of the plate 11.- U on this shaft 15 is mounted any desired num r of supports 20, three of such supports being shown in the accompanying drawings. These supports are preferably formed from sheet metal and in order to enable them to grip the beaded bottom portions 16 of the cans 17 containin the o1 ars, each of the su ports 20 is ormed a ong its sides with the inturned flanges 21. Preferably, also, ver- .tical flanges 22 rise from the supporting plates 20, these vertical flanges being adapted to bear upon the sides of the cans 17 and thus 'more etIectivel hold them in place. By preference also t e rear edgeof each of the supports 20 is ormed with an up-turned flange 23 to, -moie accurately position the cans 17 upon the sup orts. As-shown, the rear flan ea 28 are ormed withreverted ends 24, t e'purpose of which will presently a ar.

p he front edgee'of the supports 20 are secured to the pivot rod 15 by lapping around the same. A can or box 17 containingcighrsto be vended will be placed on the sup ort 20 by slipping the side ort-ions of the ead 18 of the ttom of the ox within the inwardly bent flanges 21 of the support 20 and moving the box 17 rearwardly until it abuts against the u turned back flange 28 of the support 20. he flanges 21 and 22 will thus hold the box 17 so that, when the support 20 is tilted, as will presently appea-r, the box will still be firmly held upon rthe su port.

In t ie upper ends of the upri hts 12 are mounted the ends of a shaft 30 t at extends T from end to endlof the apparatus, this shaft serving to pivotally support a top plate 31 that is preferably formed of sheet metal with downwardly turned flanges 32. As

shown in Fig. 2, the rest edge of the top sis ijfilIn the preferred embodimentof my invention, the top plate 31 is connected to.the tiltingplatform or bottom-plate 20, so that when the "top' plate31 is ra sed, the bottom pla te"or"plat formj2O will be' shifted so as to tilt outwardly 'the'c'ans or boxes'containing the'cig'arsflnjsuch position-tbatthey may be conveniently ins ected'and'reached by the customer, as in icated by broken lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Any'suitable means may be employed for connecting the top which are plate 31 to thc tilting bottom plate or support 20, but I prefer to em loy for this purpose a pair of links 35 [UK that are pivoted together, as at 37, the upper end of the link being pivoted, as at 38, to a lug depending from the under face of the top plate 31, while the lower end of the link 36 is pivoted, as at 39, to the hi" or lugs 21 at the ends of the flanges 23 of the supports 20.

The top plate 81 is shown as rovided with openings, in any desired num er, over laccd sheets of foraminons material 40 ac apted to sustain sheets of blotting-paper, felt or like porous material 41 for holding water to moisten the cigars. The forammous sheets 40 rest upon inwardly pro'ecting portions of the top plate 81 below t e corners of the sheets, or are otherwise conveniently sustained. Around each of the o enings in the top plate are formed vertica lips or llan es 42 over which will fit the covers 18 of the cans or boxes containing the cigars. These lips or flanges 42 are preferably struck up from the top plate 81.

will be The internal revenue stamps 11), which are required by law to be placed upon boxes containing cigars, before the cigars are placed in my apparatus for sale, extend over the covers 18 and along the sides of the boxes .17.-but when the boxes are to be placed in my apparatus the revenue stamps will be broken and the body of each'box 17 laced upon one of the su ports 20 while .t 0 cover of the box .will 0 placed 11 on the up-turned flanges 42 of the top p ate 31, and immediately above the top of the box 17 from which this cover 18 was removed. The revenue stamp 19 will extend down more or less through the slots 31 that are formed at the sides of the o enings in the to plate 31. In this way one 1 cover 18 will be immediately above the box 17 from which it was removed, and the severed ortions of the revenue stamp 11) will be rou lit closely together.

W en the parts are in the normal position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the top plate 31 will hold each of the covers 18 immediately over the box 17 to which it belongs, and the pads 41, being held normally immediately above the cigars, will serve to retain them in fresh or moist condition. \Vhen the cigars are to be sold, the salesmanwilldepress the rear end of the bar or lever 34 thereb causing the top plate 31- to be lifted and t w several boxes 17 to be tilted forward so as to enable the purchaser to readily select such kinds or colors of cigars as he may wish. When the pressure on the bar or lever 34 is released, the partswill be returned by ravity to the normal position shown by fuii lines in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

\Vhen the cigars or other articles to be vcnded are contained within round cans or boxes, the modified form of bottom plate or support, illustrated in Figs. 5 and G of the drawings may be used. In such case, the platform 20 will be formed with upturned flanges 22 adapted to grasp the sides of the round boxes, and with inwardly turned portions 21" adapted to engage the beaded lower portions of the round cans or boxes.

It is obvious that the details of construction above set out may be varied within wide limits without departin from the spirit of my invention, and t iat features of the invention may be employed without its adoption as an entirety. Tius, for example, the to plate could be advantageously used without the tilting support or platform, and vice versa.

Having thus described myinventiomwhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a base, a support for holding one or more cans or boxes, said support being pivoted at its front to said base, means for sustaining the covers of said cans or boxes independently of the bodies thereof, vertical supports to which the rear of said cover sustaining means is pivotally connected, and means for simultaneously tilting upwardly and forwardly said support and for swinging upwardly and rear- \vurdl said cover sustaining means.

2. in apparatus of the character described, comprising a base, a support for holding one or more cans or boxes, said support being pivoted at its front; to said base, means for sustaining the covers of said cans or boxes independently of the bodies thereof, vertical supports to which the rear of said cover sustaining means is pivotally connected, and means connecting the rear of said tilting support and the front of said cover sustainin means, whereby the cans or boxes may 0 tilted forwardly as the cover sustaining means is lifted.

3. An apparatus of the character de- A scribed, comprising-a base, a support for one f or more :eans or; boxespivoted at its -front t o saidbase','a top plateiextending ata-fdistance' above saidjbase and pivoted at its -rear,z-said -=-top', plate being '{provided' with -means for supporting'the covers of the cans or' boxes independently of the bodies there-; .of, andmeans'for" simultaneously tilting said support and liftin said top platen- 4. An. apparatus-*0 i thecharacter de-' scribed, comprising-a base, a support for, sustaimng one or more cans or boxes pivoted at its front to said'base, means for -sus'taining-the covers of the cans or boxes inde endently of the bodies thereof, said means.

' ein located at a distance above said base, suita le uprights to which said cover sustaining means is pivoted at its rear, connections etween said cover sustainin device and said tilting support, whereby t icy may be simultaneously shifted, and a rearwardlv projecting part whereby the support may e tilted and the cover sustaining means shall be lifted.

5. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a base, a tilting support provided with means for holding one or more cans or boxes, a pivoted cover sustaining means for holding the covers of the cans or boxes, suitable connections between the tilting support and the cover sustaining means and a rcarwardly projecting arm connected to said cover sustaining means and whereby the tilting support and the cover sustaining means will be shifted.

6. An apparatus of the character described comprising a tilting support provided with means for holding one or more cans or boxes, a pivotally supported top plate arranged at a distance above said tilting support and adapted to sustain the covers of the cans or boxes independently of the body thereof, said top plate having openings provided with upwardly projecting flanges at their edges for engaging the covers of the cans or boxes, and said openings having inwardly projecting flanges at their edges for sustainin moisteners within the covers, and operating connections between said top plate and said tilting support.

7. An apparatus of the character described comprising a base, a support for holding one or more cans or boxes, said support being pivoted to said base a top plate extending over said base at a distance above the same and adapted to close over the cans or boxes, an 11 right mounted on said base to which uprig it said top plate is pivotally connected at its rear, connecting means between said top late and said pi'voted base and means or simultaneously tilting said support and lifting upwardly and rcarwardly said to plate.

8. An apparatus 0 the character do- ;the rear of said top plate, and a projection connected to and scribed comprising a base, a support for holding one or more cans or boxes, said support being pivoted to said base, a top plate extending at a distance above said ascand substantially parallel therewith,

upright mounted on said base to which said top plate is pivotally connected at its rear, connectim means extending between base and the front of said extending from said top plate whereby said support may be tilted and said top plate may be shifted upwardly and rcarwardly.

9.'An apparatus of the character described comprising a base, a support for holding one or more cans or boxes, said support being pivoted to said base, a top plate extending over said base from side to side thereof and at a distance above the same. an upright mounted upon said base to which upright said top plate is pivotally connected at its rear, means connectin said pivoted support to said top plate an a projection connected to said to) plate and extending rearwardly beyond the pivot point thereof whereby the top plate may be shifted upwardly and rcarwardly while the support connected thereto is tilted forwardly.

10. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a base, a tilting support ivoted at its front to said base and rovi ed with inwardly turned, can engag- 111g flanges, uprights rising from said base,

means for sustaining the covers of the cans or boxes independently of the bodies thereof, the rear of said cover sustaining means bem pivoted to said uprights, means connecting the rear of said tilting support and the front of said cover sustaining means, and an arm or lever projecting from said cover sustainin means and whereby it may be moved to etidct the shifting of the tilting support and of said cover sustaining means.

11. An apparatus of the character described comprising a support having means for removably supporting one or more boxes, fixed uprights extending above said support, a plate ivotally connected at its rear to said uprights and adapted to extend over the box or boxes on said support, said plate havin means for sustaining moisteners over t 0 upper ends of said boxes, and an arm or lever connected to said top plate and whereby it may be lifted.

1 2. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a support for one or more cans or boxes, uprights extending above Sflld support, a top plate pivoted at its rear to said support and provided with openmgs and with vertical projections adacent said openings to engage the covers of the cans or boxes resting upon said support, and means for tilting said top plate to lift Stlld covers.

13. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a support for a plurality of cans or boxes, at top plate arranged at a distance above said support and provided with a plurality of openings adapted to come opposite the tops of the cans or boxes, suitable means for pivotally sustain ing said top plate at its rear, an arm or projection whereby said top plate may be turned about its pivot, said top plate being provided with means for holding the individual covers of the cans or boxes, and with means for holding moisteners opposite the openiiu's in said top plate.

14. Xu apparatus of the character described, comprisin a tilting support provided with means f or holding a plurality of cans or boxes side by side, means above said tilting support for sustaining corresponding covers for said cans or boxes independently of the bodies thereof and in position above the individual cans or boxes, said cover sustaining means being pivotally supported and means for simultaneously tilting saic support and said cover sustaining means.

15. An apparatus of the character described comprising a base, a support for one or more cans or boxes pivoted at its front to said base, a to plate extendin at a distance above said base and pivoted at its rear, means for supporting said top plate independently of t 1e cans or boxes and means for simultaneously tilting said support and lifting said top plate.

16. An apparatus of the character de scribed comprising a base, a can support pivoted at its front edge to said base, up rights extending from the rear of said base, a top plate pivoted to said upri hts and provided with openings and with means for holding the can covers above said openings. 4

means-connecting said top plate and said support, and means for simultaneously tilting said support and lifting said top plate.

17. An apparatus of the character described comprising a base, a tilting support \VILLIAM G. J. COLLINS,

\Vitnesses:

Gsoaos P. Fisnsa, Ka'rnaams Gsaoaon.

Copies of thin patent may be obtained (or five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O." 

